I Want You to Be Alive
by darkangel9314
Summary: When Archie Andrew's best friend Betty Cooper commits suicide, Archie wonders if there's more to the story than meets the eye, but will he be able to handle it when he finds out what really happened that day?
1. Chapter 1

I Want You to Be Alive

Chapter 1

Archie took a deep breath trying to stop the tears from coming as he sat next to his father waiting for the police to question him along with half the student body about one of their former classmates Betty Cooper. He just couldn't believe what had happened to her. What had driven her to kill herself? He guessed he would never really find out the reason why, but he knew one thing he could do for her family at the moment was tell the police the truth about what had happened between him and Betty. He at least owed them that. Owed her that...

The door flew open as a police officer walked into the hall looking at all the students with dismay in his eyes as if he knew exactly what all of them had done. He couldn't blame him, if Archie was that officer he would be disappointed in them too.

"Archie Andrews." the cop said summoning him to the room where he would be questioned.

Archie looked up at the cop nodding his understanding as his dad gave him a squeeze of encouragement. Archie followed the cop to the principals office where he would be questions for the next couple of minutes hoping he would have some information about what exactly was going on. At least he hoped he would be able to help. He would do anything at this point to try to make things right.

"Have a seat, my boss will be with you in a moment." the cop said twisting a knob to another part of the office.

Archie shifted his feet from foot to foot as he waited for the detective who was going to be assigned to this case to enter. Finally after what seemed like awhile a man that Archie doesn't recognize stepped into the room and smiled with Sheriff Keller by his side.

"Hello Archie, My name is Detective Castillo and I'm here to take over the Elizabeth Cooper case-"

"Betty." he interrupted the detective even though he probably shouldn't have

"What?"

"She hated the name Elizabeth. She preferred that her friends called her Betty."

"Alright Betty it is then."

"Sorry I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's quite alright, I understand under the circumstances. From what I understand you were best friends with the deceased."

"You could say that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"We didn't really spend a lot of time together or talked much the last few months that she was alive. As a matter of fact there were times where she didn't want anything to do with me."

"And why do you think that is? Why do you think that you two lost contact?"

"How much time do you have today? Because in order to fully understand what went wrong with us than I'll need a lot more than an hour to do so."

"Do you think that what you have to say will affect the case in any way?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure."

"Well there's always a chance that you might have something useful for us."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up. I know I'm not."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because nothing I say or do will bring Betty back. She's gone and it's all my fault."

The detective looked at Sheriff Keller for more explanation as he stepped forward ready to talk to Archie for the first time that day.

"Why do you feel like it's your fault Archie?"

"I feel like it's my fault, because maybe if I had been more observant she would still be here. If only I hadn't shut her out maybe she would still be alive."

"Why did you shut her out Archie?"

"Things started to get complicated after we both started dating each others best friends. That in itself is another long story."

"Well it seems like a story that's worth telling. If you don't mind coming into the station for the next week to clear up the air on the situation than maybe we'll have somewhere to go with this case."

"I guess I could do that."

"Sounds like a plan. Can I go now? It's been quite a day and I would love to go home."

"Of course. Just keep in mind that we'll be contacting you further for more questioning."

Archie nodded as a sudden sense of relief flooded through his chest. With shaking knees, Archie rose from his chair and headed straight towards the door wanting nothing more than to forget that this day ever happened. Too bad it wouldn't be that easy. Things like this never were...

Archie kept a fast pace to get inside the house as fast as he could. The last thing he needed was his dad to try to have a conversation with him when all he wanted to do was lock himself away fro the rest of the world and hide inside of his emotions, but unfortunately his dad wouldn't let that happen. He almost never did.

"Archie!" his dad yelled as Archie's foot hit the stairs. Dammit. He was hoping for a quiet night.

Archie pivoted on the steps and looked at his dad who was now right in front of him.

"I don't think you should be alone right now."

"Well than I guess we have a dilemma, because that's all I want to be right now."

"Archie, You just lost one of your best friends. I know you can't be alright right now."

"No dad I'm not alright, but when your best friend kills themselves there's never really an alright, is there?"

"Arch-"

"Please dad I just want to be alone. Even you can understand that right?"

His dad nodded as he went upstairs not knowing what he would find in there next.


	2. Chapter 2

I Want You to Be Alive

Chapter 2

A knock sounded at his door as Archie took his headphones off and looked towards his door to see one of the very few people he wanted to talk to right now.

"Ronnie!" he cried out as he embraced her wanting nothing more than to feel her warmth.

"I heard about Betty, how are you holding up?"

"Sometimes I feel as if I'm fine. That I've finally accepted that she's gone and sometimes I feel like we're back at the beginning of our freshmen year and she'll walk through those doors at any moment ready to tell me her newest secret."

"It seems like she had a lot of those."

"We all do Ronnie; I just didn't know hers were as severe."

"No one did."

"I'm pretty sure one person was aware of what was happening to her." Archie hissed narrowing his eyes slightly just by thinking about him.

"Asking him about it won't help you grieve Archie. It's best to leave well enough alone and focus on her memory."

"It might not help me grieve Ronnie, but it will help answer some of the questions that I have."

"Promise me you'll wait a little bit before you talk to him. You're not the only one whop lost her Arch you have to remember that."

"I'm trying but sometimes it's hard you know."

Veronica nodded as she pulled him closer trying to comfort him as best she could, but for whatever it wasn't enough. It never would be again. Not without Betty Cooper alive and well.

"Did you want to grab something to eat. I can get some take out from Pop's if you don't feel like going out."

"I think going out will actually help me some. I'll get my jacket and then we can go."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah it's worse for me to be alone with my thoughts right now and maybe being around other people will help. Besides I've been dying for a strawberry milkshake."

"Well what do you know I'm in the mood for a chocolate milkshake." Veronica answered smiling at him as he went to go get dressed.

When they got to Pop's, Veronica got them a booth as Archie ordered their food and looked over as he sucked in a deep breath at what he saw. Jughead was here with the serpents and there was nothing Archie wanted more than to talk to him.

"Arch don't" Veronica said putting her hand on his arm as if to stop him.

"I just want to talk to him for a second. I promise I won't get nasty. I- I just need to say something about it to him. Anything."

"Just don't strain yourself Archie. You're still grieving."

Nodding, Archie made his way to where jughead and the serpents sat as he tried his best to seem approachable. When Jughead saw him, he stiffened rising up to meet him as they stood face to face. But Archie couldn't back down. He couldn't show fear around these people. Especially one he used to call a best friend.

"Hey Jug. How are you holding up?"

"My girlfriend is dead Andrews. How do you think I feel?"

"I'm not going to try to understand how much pain you must be in. I don't think there's anything more tragic than someone taking their own life."

"The problem with that Archie is that Betty would never kill herself. It's not who she was and deep down you know that. She was murdered Arch. She didn't kill herself."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know my girlfriend Archie. You can't tell me that something about this whole situation doesn't seem off to you. Why would Betty kill herself when she had everything she always wanted?"

Anguish filled Archie's gut as he lowered his voice so nobody but Jughead would hear. "Jughead, I know it's hard, but there's no evidence suggesting that Betty was killed."

"There has to be Archie. She didn't kill herself I know it."

"Jug- "

"Listen if you're just going to stand here and fill me with self-doubt than you can just go back to daddy's little princess and fuck off. I'm going to find out who did this to my girlfriend with or without you. Now go run along before you really start to make me angry."

"If you ever need to talk. You know where to find me." Archie replied as Jughead waved him off letting him go back to Veronica wondering if Jughead had a point. Had someone really killed Betty Cooper?


End file.
